The invention relates in general to net games and in particular to a new and useful supporting device for the mounting of the net posts for tennis nets and the like.
A supporting device of this type is known from German GM No. 77 25 037. Such a supporting device is designed to achieve more mobility by using a play field for various games in which nets are of varying height. This type of supporting device is not the task of the invention.
In tennis courts it is general practice to mount the tennis net to net posts, which are guyed permanently to the ground or which can be inserted into a holder embedded in the ground. Due to this the fastening of the net is tied to the conditions given by the regular size of the tennis courts. A court size designed for adult players with the respective net height is not suited for children and often leads to disappointment, because tennis is not correctly represented for them. Therefore, satisfying educational success and fun for children from about five years and up has been achieved through so-called "short-tennis". A short-tennis court has about the size of a badminton court. The net is much lower, the inner pressure of the ball is less than for regular tennis and the racket has a shorter handle. The cited patent does not deal with the design of the court for short-tennis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,910 also describes a supporting device for a net post for tennis nets, which is to be put down on the ground loosely, i.e. with no connection to the ground. According to this publication, stability is to be achieved by filling a fluent material into hollow spaces. This publication does not deal with the design of the supporting device according to the invention.